This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

43 

Vol. 89, No. 1 

Tuesday, January 2, 2024 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Region 5 and Region 6; California, 

Oregon, and Washington; Forest Plan 

Amendment for Planning and 

Management of Northwest Forests 

Within the Range of the Northern 

Spotted Owl 

Correction 

In notice document 2023–27742 

beginning on page 87393 in the issue of 

Monday, December 18, 2023, make the 

following correction: 

On page 87393, in the second column, 

in the third and fourth lines from the 

bottom, ‘‘January 29, 2024’’ should read 

‘‘February 1, 2024’’. 

[FR Doc. C1–2023–27742 Filed 12–29–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 0099–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[DOCKET #: RBS–23–BUSINESS–0024] 

Notice of Solicitation of Applications 

for the Rural Innovation Stronger 

Economy (RISE) Grant Program for 

Fiscal Year 2024 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS, Agency), a 

Rural Development (RD) agency of the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), invites applications under the 

Rural Innovation Stronger Economy 

(RISE) program for fiscal year (FY) 2024, 

subject to the availability of funding. 

The Agency estimates $2,000,000 will 

be available for the RISE Program for FY 

2024. Selected applicants will use 

Agency grant funds to provide financial 

assistance in support of innovation 

centers and job accelerator programs 

that improve the ability of distressed 

rural communities to create high wage 

jobs, accelerate the formation of new 

businesses, and help rural communities 

identify and maximize local assets. All 

applicants are responsible for any 

expenses incurred in developing their 

applications. 

DATES: Completed applications must be 

submitted electronically no later than 

11:59 p.m. Eastern Time April 1, 2024, 

through www.grants.gov to be eligible 

for grant funding. Please review the 

Grants.gov website for instructions on 

the process of registering your 

organization as soon as possible to 

ensure that you are able to meet the 

electronic application deadline. The 

Agency will not consider any 

application(s) received after the 

deadline and that are not submitted 

through www.grants.gov. Potential 

applicants may submit a concept 

proposal for review by the Agency to 

www.grants.gov by 4:30 p.m. local time 

on February 1, 2024 in compliance with 

7 CFR 4284.1115(a). The application 

and Concept Proposal deadline dates 

and times are firm. 

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for 

a RISE grant, or to submit a Concept 

Proposal for their project, may 

download the application documents 

and requirements delineated in this 

Notice from the RD RISE website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/business-programs/ruralinnovation-stronger-economy-risegrants. Information for the submission 

of an electronic application may be 

found at: www.grants.gov. Concept 

Proposals containing elements outlined 

in Section D.2 of this Notice must be 

submitted to www.grants.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rachel Reister, Program Management 

Division, RBCS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop3226, Washington, DC 20250–3226, 

(202) 720–1400 or email: rachel.reister@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Innovation Stronger Economy Grant 

Program. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Applications. 

Funding Opportunity Number: RD– 

RBS–24–01–RISE. 

Assistance Listing: 10.755. 

Dates: Electronic applications must be 

received and accepted by no later than 

11:59 Eastern Time, April 1, 2024, or 

they will not be considered for funding. 

Potential applicants may submit a 

concept proposal for review by the 

Agency to https://www.grants.gov: 

February 1, 2024 in compliance with 7 

CFR 4284.1115(a). Submission of a 

concept proposal is not an application 

for program funds. 

Rural Development Key Priorities: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

priority-points): 

• Assisting rural communities to 

recover economically through more and 

better market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure; 

• Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects; and 

• Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 

A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. The RISE 

program is a grant program to help 

struggling communities by funding job 

accelerators in low-income rural 

communities. The primary objective of 

the RISE program is to support jobs 

accelerator partnerships to improve the 

ability of distressed rural communities 

to create high wage jobs, accelerate the 

formation of new businesses through 

innovation centers, and help rural 

communities identify and maximize 

local assets. 

2. Statutory Authority. The RISE 

program is a grant program authorized 

under section 379I of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act (7 

U.S.C. 2008w). The regulations 

governing this program are published at 

7 CFR part 4284, subpart L. 

3. Definitions. The definitions 

applicable to this Notice are published 

at 7 CFR 4284.1103. In addition, the 

terms ‘‘rural’’ and ‘‘rural area’’ are 

defined at section 379I of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)) 

and will be used for this program. 

4. Application of Awards. The Agency 

will review, evaluate, and score 


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applications received in response to this 

Notice based on the provisions found in 

7 CFR 4284.1117, Scoring RISE grant 

applications, and as indicated in this 

Notice. Awards under the RISE program 

will be made on a competitive basis 

using specific selection criteria 

contained in 7 CFR 4284.1118, Selecting 

RISE grant applications for award. The 

Agency will award RISE grants in 

accordance with 7 CFR 4284.1119, 

Awarding and Administering RISE 

Grants. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Award: Grants. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024. 

Available Funds: Funding is 

anticipated to be $2,000,000. RBCS may, 

at its discretion, increase the total level 

of funding available in this funding 

round or in any category in this funding 

round from any available source 

provided the awards meet the 

requirements of the statute which made 

the funding available to the agency. 

Award Amounts: The minimum 

award amount per grant is $500,000 and 

the maximum award amount per grant 

is $2,000,000, as authorized by Section 

379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w). 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

15, 2024. 

Anticipated Performance Period: 

September 15, 2024 through December 

31, 2028. 

Renewal or Supplemental Awards: 

None. 

Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant 

Agreement. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. An eligible 

applicant must be a rural jobs 

accelerator partnership formed after 

December 20, 2018, and meet the 

eligibility criteria found in 7 CFR 

4284.1112 and this Notice to apply for 

this program. Eligibility exclusions are 

as follows: 

(a) Individuals and individual entities 

such as businesses are not eligible 

applicants for the RISE program. 

(b) An applicant is not eligible if they 

have been debarred or suspended or 

otherwise excluded from or ineligible 

for participation in Federal assistance 

programs under Executive Order 12549, 

‘‘Debarment and Suspension.’’ The 

Agency will check the System for 

Award Management (SAM) at the time 

of application, prior to funding any 

grant award, and disbursement of funds 

to determine if the applicant has been 

debarred or suspended. In addition, an 

applicant will be considered ineligible 

for a grant due to an outstanding 

judgment obtained by the U.S. in a 

Federal Court (other than U.S. Tax 

Court), is delinquent on the payment of 

Federal income taxes, or is delinquent 

on Federal debt. See 7 CFR 4284.1109. 

The applicant must certify as part of the 

application that they do not have an 

outstanding judgment against them. The 

Agency will check the Do Not Pay 

System at the time of application, prior 

to funding any grant award and each 

disbursement of funds to verify this 

information. 

(c) Any corporation that has been 

convicted of a felony criminal violation 

under any Federal law within the past 

24 months or that has any unpaid 

Federal tax liability that has been 

assessed, for which all judicial and 

administrative remedies have been 

exhausted or have lapsed, and that is 

not being paid in a timely manner 

pursuant to an agreement with the 

authority responsible for collecting the 

tax liability, is not eligible for financial 

assistance unless a Federal agency has 

considered suspension or debarment of 

the corporation and has made a 

determination that this further action is 

not necessary to protect the interests of 

the Government. 

Applications that fail to meet any of 

these requirements by the application 

deadline will be deemed ineligible and 

will not be evaluated further. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching. The 

matching funds requirement is 20 

percent of the eligible project costs of 

any activity carried out using RISE grant 

funds. Matching funds must be available 

throughout the grant term and applied 

individually to each RISE activity. Grant 

funds may only be used for up to 80 

percent of an eligible RISE activity. 

Additional information on matching 

funds is found at 7 CFR 4284.1114. 

When calculating the matching funds 

requirement, round to whole dollars as 

appropriate. The matching funds 

requirement is calculated by 

multiplying the total eligible project 

costs of each eligible RISE activity by 

0.20. The amount of matching funds 

required for the RISE activities is then 

added together to obtain the total 

amount of non-Federal matching funds 

required for the project. Applications 

that only provide matching funds equal 

to 20 percent of the grant amount will 

be deemed ineligible due to an 

insufficient matching funds amount. 

A written commitment of matching 

funds must be provided to verify that all 

matching funds are available during the 

grant period and this documentation 

should be included in the application in 

accordance with requirements identified 

in Section D.2 of this Notice. If an 

applicant is awarded a grant, additional 

verification documentation may be 

required to confirm the availability of 

matching funds for the duration of the 

grant term. 

Matching funds must meet all of the 

following criteria: 

(a) They must be spent on eligible 

expenses during the grant period. 

(b) They must be from eligible 

sources. 

(c) They must be spent in advance or 

as a pro-rata portion of grant funds 

being spent. 

(d) They must be provided by either 

the applicant or a third party in the form 

of cash or an in-kind contribution. 

(e) They cannot include other Federal 

grants unless provided by authorizing 

legislation. 

(f) They cannot include cash or inkind contributions donated outside of 

the grant period. 

(g) They cannot include over-valued, 

in-kind contributions. 

(h) They cannot include any project 

costs that are ineligible under the RISE 

program. 

(i) They cannot be used for ineligible 

grant purposes as stated in 7 CFR 

4284.1114, 2 CFR part 200, subpart E, 

‘‘Cost Principles,’’ and the most current 

Federal Acquisition Regulation (forprofits) or successor regulations. 

(j) They can include reasonable and 

customary travel expenses for staff 

delivering the RISE program if written 

policies explaining how these costs are 

normally reimbursed, including rates, 

have been established. An explanation 

of this policy must be included in the 

application, or the contributions will 

not be considered as eligible matching 

funds. 

(k) Applicants must be able to 

document and verify the number of 

hours worked and the value associated 

with any in-kind contribution being 

used to meet a matching funds 

requirement. 

(l) In-kind contributions provided by 

individuals, businesses, or cooperatives 

which are being assisted by the 

Applicant cannot provide any direct 

benefit to their own projects as the 

Agency considers this to be a conflict of 

interest or the appearance of a conflict 

of interest. 

3. Other Eligibility Requirements. 

(a) Purpose Eligibility. Applications 

must propose the establishment of an 

innovation center and/or costs directly 

related to operations of an innovation 

center and/or costs directly associated 

with support of programs to be carried 

out at or in direct partnership with job 

accelerators as outlined in 7 CFR 

4284.1113. The Applicant project 

outcome must accelerate the formation 

of new businesses with high-growth 

potential, improve the ability of rural 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / Notices 45 

businesses and distressed rural 

communities to create high-wage jobs, 

and strengthen rural regional 

economies. Project funds, including 

grant and matching funds, must be for 

eligible purposes only as outlined in 7 

CFR 4284.1114. 

(b) Project Eligibility. All project 

activities must be for the benefit of 

communities, industries and residents 

located in a rural area, as defined. The 

Applicant is cautioned against taking 

any actions or incurring any obligations 

prior to the Agency completing the 

environmental review that would either 

limit the range of alternatives to be 

considered or that would have an 

adverse effect on the environment, such 

as the initiation of construction. If the 

Applicant takes any such actions or 

incurs any such obligations, it could 

result in project ineligibility. Projects 

involving the construction of an 

innovation center as an eligible purpose 

are subject to the environmental 

requirements of 7 CFR part 1970, as well 

as the applicable design and 

construction requirements of RD and the 

adopted codes of the jurisdiction. 

(c) Additional Eligibility 

Requirements. 

(i) The rural jobs accelerator 

partnership must have a lead applicant 

who is responsible for the 

administration of the grant proceeds and 

activities. A lead applicant will be the 

named applicant on Agency documents 

and must be one of the following 

entities listed in 7 CFR 4284.1112(b), 

which is as follows: 

(1) A district organization; 

(2) An Indian Tribe or a political 

subdivision of a Tribe, including a 

special purpose unit of a tribal 

government engaged in economic 

development activities, or a consortium 

of Indian Tribes; 

(3) A State or a political subdivision 

of a State, including a special purpose 

unit of a State or local government 

engaged in economic development 

activities, or a consortium of political 

subdivisions; 

(4) An institution of higher education 

(as defined in section 101 of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) 

or a consortium of institutions of higher 

education; or 

(5) A public or private nonprofit 

organization. 

(ii) The Lead Applicant must be 

registered in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) prior to submitting 

an application. The Lead Applicant 

must also maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at 

all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application under 

consideration by the Agency. All other 

restrictions in this Notice will apply. 

(iii) Applications will be deemed 

ineligible if the application includes any 

funding restrictions identified under 

Section D.6 of this Notice. Inclusion of 

funding restrictions outlined in Section 

D.6 of this Notice precludes the Agency 

from making a federal award. 

(d) Completeness. An application will 

not be considered for funding if it fails 

to meet an eligibility criterion by the 

time of application deadline or does not 

provide sufficient information to 

determine eligibility and scoring. 

Applicants must include all the forms 

and proposal elements as discussed in 

the regulation and as clarified further in 

this Notice in one package. Incomplete 

applications will not be reviewed by the 

Agency. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package. For further information and 

program materials, including an 

Application Template, contact the RD 

National Office and/or review the 

program website at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/ 

business-programs/rural-innovationstronger-economy-rise-grants. 

Application information is also 

available at www.grants.gov. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. An application must 

contain all the required elements 

outlined in 7 CFR 4284.1115. Each 

application must address the applicable 

scoring criteria presented in 7 CFR 

4284.1117 for the type of funding being 

requested. 

The Application Template provides 

specific, detailed instructions for each 

item of a complete application. The 

Agency strongly encourages the 

Applicant to use the examples and 

illustrations in the Application 

Template to assist in developing a 

complete application package. 

Potential applicants may submit a 

concept proposal for review by the 

Agency to www.grants.gov by 4:30 p.m. 

local time on February 1, 2024 in 

compliance with 7 CFR 4284.1115(a). 

The concept proposal should be in a 

narrative format up to 10 pages in length 

using a minimum of 11-point font and 

submitted electronically through 

www.grants.gov. The concept proposal 

must include all items stated in 7 CFR 

4284.1115(a). The concept proposal will 

be evaluated by the Agency and an 

encouragement or discouragement letter 

will be issued to the potential applicant. 

If a discouragement letter is issued, it 

will detail any weaknesses evaluated in 

the Agency’s review, though a complete 

application may still be submitted prior 

to the application deadline. Applicants 

who submit a concept proposal to the 

Agency will not need to resubmit the 

same information with their application. 

However, submission of a concept 

proposal is not an application for 

program funds. Applicants that do not 

submit a concept proposal may still 

submit a complete application for 

Agency review. 

Only one application can be 

submitted per applicant, who is defined 

as a lead applicant as found in 7 CFR 

4284.1112(b). If two applications are 

submitted by the same lead applicant, 

both applications will be deemed 

ineligible for funding. Applications 

must be submitted electronically 

through www.grants.gov. Applications 

submitted to the Agency in any format 

outside of Grants.gov will not be 

considered for funding. 

3. System for Award Management and 

Unique Entity Identifier. 

(a) At the time of application, each 

applicant must have an active 

registration in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) before submitting 

its application in accordance with 2 

CFR part 25. In order to register in SAM, 

entities will be required to obtain a 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

Instructions for obtaining the UEI are 

available at https://sam.gov/content/ 

entity-registration. 

(b) Applicant must maintain an active 

SAM registration, with current, accurate 

and complete information, at all times 

during which it has an active Federal 

award or an application under 

consideration by a Federal awarding 

agency. 

(c) Applicant must ensure they 

complete the Financial Assistance 

General Certifications and 

Representations in SAM. 

(d) Applicant must provide a valid 

UEI in its application, unless 

determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110. 

(e) The Agency will not make an 

award until the applicant has complied 

with all SAM requirements including 

providing the UEI. If an applicant has 

not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the Agency is 

ready to make an award, the Agency 

may determine that the applicant is not 

qualified to receive a Federal award and 

use that determination as a basis for 

making a Federal award to another 

applicant. 

4. Submission Date and Time. 

(a) Concept Proposal Submittals. 

Potential applicants may electronically 

submit a concept proposal for review by 

the Agency to www.grants.gov by 4:30 

p.m. local time on February 1, 2024, in 

compliance with 7 CFR 4284.1115(a) 


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and as stated in Section D.2 of this 

Notice. Submission of a concept 

proposal is not an application for 

program funds. 

(b) Application Deadline Date. 

Completed applications must be 

submitted electronically through 

www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. 

Eastern Time, April 1, 2024, to be 

eligible for grant funding. 

Late or incomplete applications will 

not be eligible for funding under this 

grant opportunity. The Agency will not 

solicit or consider new scoring or 

eligibility information that is submitted 

after the application deadline. The 

Agency also reserves the right to ask 

applicants for clarifying information 

and additional verification of assertions 

in the application. 

5. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications. Executive Order (E.O.) 

12372, ‘‘Intergovernmental Review of 

Federal Programs,’’ applies to this 

program. This E.O. requires that Federal 

agencies provide opportunities for 

consultation on proposed assistance 

with State and local governments. Many 

states have established a Single Point of 

Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this 

consultation. For a list of States that 

maintain an SPOC, please see the White 

House website: https://

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ 

management/office-federal-financialmanagement/. If your State has a SPOC, 

you may submit a copy of the 

application directly for review. Any 

comments obtained through the SPOC 

must be provided to your State Office 

for consideration as part of your 

application. If your State has not 

established a SPOC, or if you do not 

want to submit a copy of the 

application, our State Offices will 

submit your application to the SPOC or 

other appropriate agency or agencies. 

Applications from Federally recognized 

Tribes are not subject to this 

requirement. 

6. Funding Restrictions. 

(a) Please note that no assistance or 

funding from this grant can be provided 

to a hemp producer unless they have a 

valid license issued from an approved 

State, Tribal or Federal plan as defined 

by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 

2018, Public Law 115–334. Verification 

of valid hemp licenses will occur at the 

time of award. 

(b) Grant funds may be used to pay for 

up to 80 percent of eligible project 

activity costs. Grant funds may be used 

to pay for costs directly related to the 

purchase or construction of an 

innovation center located in a lowincome rural area; costs directly related 

to operations of an innovation center 

including purchase of equipment, office 

supplies, and administrative costs 

including salaries directly related to the 

project; costs directly associated with 

support programs to be carried out at or 

in direct partnership with job 

accelerators; reasonable and customary 

travel expenses directly related to job 

accelerators and at rates in compliance 

with 2 CFR 200.474; utilities, operating 

expenses of the innovation center and 

job accelerator programs and associated 

programs; and administrative costs of 

the grantee not exceeding 10% of the 

grant amount for the duration of the 

project. 

(c) Applications must include a cost 

and performance plan for no more than 

a four-year grant period, or it will not 

be considered for funding. The grant 

period should begin no earlier than 

September 15, 2024, and no later than 

January 1, 2025. Applications that 

request funds for a project with a 

performance period ending after 

December 31, 2028, will not be 

considered for funding. Projects must be 

completed within a four-year timeframe. 

Prior approval is needed from the 

Agency if applicants are awarded a 

grant and desire the grant period to 

begin earlier or later than previously 

discussed or approved. 

The Agency may approve requests to 

extend the grant period for up to an 

additional two-year period at its 

discretion. Further guidance on grant 

period extensions will be provided in 

the award document. 

(d) Project funds, including grant and 

matching funds, cannot be used for 

ineligible grant purposes as stated in 7 

CFR 4284.1114, 2 CFR part 200, subpart 

E, ‘‘Cost Principles,’’ and the most 

current Federal Acquisition Regulation 

(for-profits) or successor regulations. 

(e) In addition, an application will not 

be considered for funding if it does any 

of the following: 

(i) Focuses assistance on only one 

business; 

(ii) Requests less than the minimum 

grant amount or more than the 

maximum grant amount; 

(iii) Includes administrative costs in 

excess of 10 percent of the grant amount 

for the project budget; or 

(iv) Funds that pass through to a 

member of the partnership in the form 

of lease payments or other activities 

with a conflict of interest or appearance 

thereof. 

7. Other Submission Requirements. 

(a) Applications should not be 

submitted in more than one format or in 

more than one submission. Applications 

should be submitted electronically 

through www.grants.gov only. 

Applications will not be accepted 

through mail or courier delivery, inperson delivery, email, or fax. 

(b) To submit an application 

electronically, applicants must follow 

instructions provided at 

www.grants.gov. The Grants.gov website 

provides information about applying 

electronically as well as the hours of 

operation. A password is not required to 

access the website. Applicants are 

advised to not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the application 

process through Grants.gov. The 

Grants.gov downloadable application 

package for this program may be located 

by using a keyword, the program name, 

or the assistance listing number for this 

program. Instructions for registering an 

organization can be found at https://

sam.gov/content/entity-registration and 

should be completed as soon as possible 

to ensure that the electronic application 

deadline can be met. Grants.gov will not 

accept applications submitted after the 

deadline. 

(c) There are no specific limitations 

on the number of pages or other 

formatting requirements of an 

application, but a complete application 

should be in a narrative form using a 

minimum of 11-point font. The 

narrative must clearly describe the jobs 

accelerator partnership, characteristics 

of the targeted region and targeted 

industry cluster(s), and how the project 

meets the RISE program initiatives. 

(d) The Agency also reserves the right 

to ask applicants for clarifying 

information and additional verification 

of assertions made in the application. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria. All eligible and complete 

applications will be evaluated and 

scored based on the selection criteria 

and weights contained in 7 CFR 

4284.1117. Failure to address any of the 

application criteria by the application 

deadline will result in the application 

being determined ineligible, and the 

application will not be considered for 

funding. 

Priority will be given to projects that 

will leverage next generation gigabit 

broadband service to promote 

entrepreneurship and entities based in 

geographical areas with established 

agriculture and technology sectors 

which are focused on the development 

of precision and autonomous agriculture 

technologies as a way to strengthen 

rural economies and create jobs. 

To focus investments in areas 

resulting in the greatest opportunity for 

growth in prosperity, the Agency 

encourages applications that serve the 

smallest communities with the lowest 

incomes, with an emphasis on areas 

where at least 20 percent of the 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / Notices 47 

population is living in poverty, 

according to the American Community 

Survey data or other comparable data by 

census tracts or Indian Reservations. 

The Agency encourages energy 

communities to utilize the RISE 

program to support workforce 

development; identify and maximize 

local assets; spur job creation; and 

connect to regional opportunities, 

networks, and industry clusters. 

2. Review and Selection Process. 

Applications will be selected for award 

in accordance with the selection criteria 

in 7 CFR 4284.1118. Applications that 

cannot be fully funded may be offered 

partial funding at the Agency’s 

discretion. If an application is evaluated 

as an eligible project, but not funded, it 

will not be carried forward into the next 

competition. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices. 

The Agency will award RISE grants in 

accordance with 7 CFR 4284.1119. 

Applicants awarded funding will 

receive a signed notice of Federal award 

by postal or electronic mail from the 

USDA RD State Office located where the 

application was submitted, containing 

instructions and requirements necessary 

to proceed with execution and 

performance of the award. Applicants 

must comply with all applicable 

statutes, regulations, and Notice 

requirements before the grant award 

will be funded. 

If an application is not selected for 

funding, the Applicant will be notified 

in writing via postal or electronic mail 

and informed of any review and appeal 

rights. See 7 CFR part 11 for USDA 

National Appeals Division procedures. 

We anticipate that there will be no 

available funds for successful appellants 

once all FY 2024 funds, if available, are 

awarded and obligated. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. Additional requirements 

that apply to grantees selected for this 

program can be found in 7 CFR part 

4284, subpart L; the Grants and 

Agreements regulations of the 

Department of Agriculture codified in 2 

CFR parts 180, 184, 400, 415, 417, 418, 

421; 2 CFR parts 25, 200, and 170; and 

48 CFR 31.2, and successor regulations 

to these parts. 

In addition, all recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier 

subawards and executive compensation 

(see 2 CFR part 170). Applicants will be 

required to have the necessary processes 

and systems in place to comply with the 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109– 

282) reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 

170.200(b), unless exempt under 2 CFR 

170.110(b)). 

The following additional 

requirements apply to grantees selected 

for awards within this program: 

(a) Execution of an Agency-approved 

financial assistance agreement; 

(b) Acceptance of a written letter of 

conditions; and submission of the 

following Agency forms: 

(1) Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds.’’ 

(2) Form RD 1942–46, ‘‘Letter of 

Intent to Meet Conditions.’’ 

(3) Form RD 400–1 for construction 

projects. 

3. Reporting. After grant approval and 

through grant completion, applicants 

will be required to provide an SF–425, 

‘‘Federal Financial Report,’’ and a 

performance report on a semiannual 

basis (due 30 working days after end of 

the semiannual period) for the first two 

years, and then annually thereafter, with 

the first report submitted no later than 

six months after receiving a grant under 

this section. The project performance 

reports shall include all items listed in 

7 CFR 4284.1120(h)(2). 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

If you have questions about this 

Notice, please see the contact provided 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this Notice. 

Applicants wanting to apply for a RISE 

grant please see the ADDRESSES section 

of this Notice. 

H. Build America Buy America Act 

Funding to Non-Federal Entities. 

Awardees that are Non-Federal Entities, 

defined pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1 as any 

State, local government, Indian tribe, 

Institution of Higher Education, or 

nonprofit organization, shall be 

governed by the requirements of Section 

70914 of the Build America, Buy 

America Act (BABAA) within the 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 

(Pub. L. 117–58), and its implementing 

regulations at 2 CFR part 184. Any 

requests for waiver of these 

requirements must be submitted 

pursuant to USDA’s guidance available 

online at https://www.usda.gov/ocfo/ 

federal-financial-assistance-policy/ 

USDABuyAmericaWaiver. 

I. Other Information 

1. Paperwork Reduction Act. In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), the information collection 

requirements associated with this 

program, as covered in this Notice, have 

been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0570–0075. 

2. National Environmental Policy Act. 

All recipients under this Notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970. 

3. Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act. All applicants, 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must 

be registered in SAM and have a UEI 

number as stated in Section D.3 of this 

notice. All recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier subawards and executive total 

compensation in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 170. 

4. Civil Rights Act. All grants made 

under this Notice are subject to title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 

required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, 

subpart A, 7 CFR part 15 subpart A— 

Nondiscrimination in FederallyAssisted Programs of the Department of 

Agriculture—Effectuation of title VI of 

the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and section 

504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 

title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, 

title IX, Executive Order 13166 (Limited 

English Proficiency), Executive Order 

11246, and the Equal Credit 

Opportunity Act of 1974. 

5. Nondiscrimination Statement. In 

accordance with Federal civil rights 

laws and USDA civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Mission 

Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, 

and institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office; or the 711 

Relay Service. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/ 

files/documents/ad-3027.pdf from any 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
48 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / Notices 

USDA office, by calling (866) 632–9992, 

or by writing a letter addressed to 

USDA. The letter must contain the 

complainant’s name, address, telephone 

number, and a written description of the 

alleged discriminatory action in 

sufficient detail to inform the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about 

the nature and date of an alleged civil 

rights violation. The completed AD– 

3027 form or letter must be submitted to 

USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–9410; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, 

employer, and lender. 

Karama Neal, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26792 Filed 12–29–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[DOCKET #: RBS–23–BUSINESS–0023] 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 

Rural Business Development Grant 

Program To Provide Technical 

Assistance for Rural Transportation 

Systems for Fiscal Year 2024 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), 

a Rural Development (RD) agency of the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), is issuing this notice to invite 

applications for grants to provide 

technical assistance for passenger Rural 

Transportation (RT) systems under the 

Rural Business Development Grant 

(RBDG) program and the terms for such 

funding. Grant funds will provide 

technical assistance for RT systems 

including designated funds to provide 

technical assistance to RT systems 

operating within Tribal lands of 

Federally Recognized Native American 

Tribes (FRNAT) (collectively 

‘‘Programs’’). This notice is being issued 

in order to allow applicants sufficient 

time to leverage financing, prepare and 

submit their applications and give the 

Agency time to process applications 

within fiscal year (FY) 2024. Based on 

FY 2023 appropriated funding, the 

Agency estimates that approximately 

$750,000 will be made available for FY 

2024. Successful applications will be 

selected by the Agency for funding and 

subsequently awarded to the extent that 

funding may ultimately be made 

available through appropriations. All 

applicants are responsible for any 

expenses incurred in developing their 

applications. 

DATES: Completed applications may be 

submitted in paper or electronic format 

and must be received in the USDA RD 

State Office no later than 4:30 p.m. 

(local time) on April 1, 2024, to be 

eligible for FY 2024 grant funding. 

Applications received after the deadline 

will be ineligible for funding. 

ADDRESSES: This funding announcement 

will also be announced on 

www.Grants.gov. Applications must be 

submitted to the USDA RD State Office 

where the Project is located. A list of the 

USDA RD State Office contacts can be 

found at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

contact-us/state-offices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cindy Mason at cindy.mason@usda.gov, 

Business Loan and Grant Analyst, 

Program Management Division, Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), 

USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Mail Stop 3226, Room 5160—South, 

Washington, DC 20250–3226, or call 

202–720–1400. 

For further information on submitting 

program applications under this notice, 

please contact the USDA RD office for 

the State in which the applicant is 

located. A list of USDA RD Office 

contacts is provided at the following 

link: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contactus/state-offices. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Business Development Grants— 

Technical Assistance for Rural 

Transportation Systems. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Funding Opportunity. 

Funding Opportunity Number: 

RDBCP–RBDG–2024. 

Assistance Listing: 10.351. 

Dates: The deadline for completed 

applications to be received in the USDA 

RD State Office is no later than 4:30 

p.m. (local time) on April 1, 2024, to be 

eligible for FY 2024 grant funding. 

Applications received after the deadline 

will be ineligible for funding. 

Rural Development Key Priorities: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

priority-points): 

• Creating More and Better Markets: 

Assist rural communities to recover 

economically through more and better 

market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure; 

• Addressing Climate Change and 

Environmental Justice: Reduce climate 

pollution and increase resilience to the 

impacts of climate change through 

economic support for rural 

communities; and 

• Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity: Ensure 

all rural residents have equitable access 

to RD programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects. 

A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. The 

purpose of this program is to improve 

the economic conditions of rural areas 

by providing technical assistance that 

will enhance the operation of rural 

transportation systems. 

2. Statutory Authority. This program 

is authorized under section 310B(c) of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)) and 

implemented by 7 CFR part 4280, 

subpart E. The program is administered 

on behalf of RBCS by the USDA RD 

State Offices. Assistance provided to 

rural areas under the program has 

historically included the provision of 

on-site technical assistance to Tribal, 

local and regional governments, public 

transit agencies, and related nonprofit 

and for-profit organizations in rural 

areas; the development of training 

materials; and the provision of 

necessary training assistance to local 

officials and agencies in rural areas. 

Section 736 of Title VII of Division A 

of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2023, designated funding for projects in 

Persistent Poverty counties. Persistent 

Poverty counties is defined in Section 

736 as ‘‘any county that has had 20 

percent or more of its population living 

in poverty over the past 30 years, as 

measured by the 1990 and 2000 

decennial censuses, and 2007–2011 

American Community Survey 5-year 

average, or any territory or possession of 

the United States’’. Another provision in 

Section 736 expands the eligible 

population in Persistent Poverty 

counties to include any county seat of 

such a persistent poverty county that 

has a population that does not exceed 

the authorized population limit by more 

than 10 percent. This provision expands 

the current 50,000 population limit to 

55,000 for only county seats located in 

Persistent Poverty counties. Therefore, 

beneficiaries of technical assistance 

services located in Persistent Poverty 


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